Open house safety tips

Wednesday

Apr 2, 2014 at 4:10 PMApr 2, 2014 at 4:10 PM

We compiled five pointers to keep in mind as your weekends begin filling up with open houses:1. Keep pets secured: Coordinate ahead of time to make sure that pets are not around during an open house. If this is not possible, make sure the pet is comfortably secured, away from the traffic flow.2. Remove small or breakable items around the house, especially those a prospective buyer could step on or trip over, or that his or her child could ingest.3. Create ambience ... cautiously: Instead of lighting candles, use electric votives to avoid a spill or fire. If you are looking to fill the house with the aroma of fresh-baked cookies, turn the oven off before the arrival of prospective buyers.4. Address safety concerns: Whether it is a broken step, an exposed wire or loose flooring, make sure your real-estate agent knows in advance, so he or she can steer prospective buyers away from a potential injury.5. Put away valuables: Hide or lock up jewelry, collectibles and electronics, as well as medications.-- HomeFinder.com